Chapter 987: Uncovering the Mastermind
Chapter 987: Uncovering the Mastermind
Compared to the cozy atmosphere of the Rose Manor, the air at Number 12, Grimmauld Place, was heavy and oppressive.
Upon receiving the news of Harry's attack, Dumbledore rushed to the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix to get a full report. He couldn't understand how Harry could have been attacked by a Dementor when there were people on guard duty to protect him.
"Sirius, write to Harry and tell him not to leave and, under no circumstances, hand over his wand." Dumbledore quickly made arrangements, then turned to Mrs. Weasley. "Molly, have Hermione and Ron write to Harry as well to calm him down. I've already sent Minerva to speak with Mrs. Figg. If anyone has time later, they can relieve her."
"Also, who's on guard duty tonight?"
"I am."
Mundungus shrugged, looking a bit sheepish.
"Mundungus, what happened?" Dumbledore strode into the dining room, fixing the little old man in front of him with a sharp gaze. "Don't try to hide anything from me."
"I..."
Mundungus hesitantly explained how he had left his post early to pursue a business opportunity. He knew he couldn't hide the truth from Dumbledore.
"So, you abandoned your post before the shift change, and that's when the Dementor attacked Harry and his cousin?" Dumbledore's face grew even grimmer.
"That's what Mrs. Figg said. She saw it with her own eyes," Mundungus mumbled, shrinking back a little. "I never thought something like this would happen."
"You've truly disappointed me. I recall Sirius giving you a subsidy as well." Dumbledore's eyes flashed sharply. He pulled out his wand, summoning parchment and a quill, and began to write a letter.
As Harry's cousin Dudley had been involved in the incident, he needed to write to Petunia, Harry's aunt, to ensure they didn't kick Harry out.
After finishing the letter, Dumbledore pulled out his wand again and cast a spell on it, turning it into a Howler. This would ensure that even if they didn't open it, they would still get the message and allow Harry to stay.
"I need to make a trip to the Ministry to stop Fudge from expelling Harry."
Before leaving the hall, Dumbledore handed the Howler to Mrs. Weasley, instructing her, "Send this as quickly as possible and make sure the owl delivers it."
"Of course."
Mrs. Weasley looked at the Howler in her hand, opened her mouth as if to say something, then, after a quick word to the others, hurried off to the Diagon Alley post office to send Dumbledore's letter.
There was no other option; all the owls at home had been sent to deliver messages to Harry.
"Dumbledore's expression just now was truly frightening. I've never seen him so angry," Mundungus said, patting his chest as if to calm his racing heart.
"Mundungus, how did Harry end up being attacked by a Dementor?" Fred and George appeared from nowhere, each grabbing one of Mundungus's arms, while Hermione, Ron, and Ginny approached as well.
"How should I know? And even if I had been there, there's nothing I could have done," Mundungus said irritably. He hadn't expected things to go wrong as soon as he left. Besides, even if he had been present, he couldn't have done anything. Mundungus couldn't even summon a corporeal Patronus, let alone drive away a Dementor.
"There's something odd about this," Hermione frowned. "Aside from Azkaban, are there other places where Dementors are kept?"
"There shouldn't be. At least not in Britain," Sirius shook his head. "No one likes those dangerous dark creatures. Most Dementors are concentrated in Azkaban to prevent them from roaming freely and causing chaos."
"If that's the case, the only ones who would dare to use a Dementor against Harry would be Voldemort and his..." Hermione's words were cut off by George.
"It could also be the Ministry," Fred corrected her. "I bet Fudge is just waiting for an opportunity to expel Harry. Don't underestimate what politicians will do to achieve their goals."
"I... I suppose that's unlikely," Hermione said, surprised at Fred's suggestion. It was hard for her to imagine the Ministry doing such a thing.
"Don't be naive about the Ministry," George sneered. "Haven't you seen their true nature yet? Power and self-interest—there's nothing they won't do to protect those."
"Look at what they did to smear Dumbledore's name, all because he spoke the truth," he added.
"I think Fred and George are right," Ron chimed in. "The Ministry has been doing a lot of questionable things lately. I wouldn't put anything past them."
"Hermine, don't be too trusting. It'll get you into trouble one day," Sirius said with a friendly warning, turning to Mundungus. "So, where did you go?"
"I went to make a big business deal," Mundungus' voice trailed off as he met Sirius' gaze and shrunk back a little.
He felt guilty, having taken the subsidy from Sirius.
Mundungus had received a few dozen Galleons from Sirius, ostensibly as a subsidy to buy things for those on guard duty. However, it was also a reward for their help in watching over Harry.
In fact, every member of the Order who had taken a shift guarding Harry had received this money. Ever since his encounter with Albert, Sirius had become more mature and adept at using his wealth to his advantage.
While everyone was contributing to the greater good, they still needed to eat, and these Galleons were essentially free. Giving them this money was a way to ensure their help in looking after Harry.
"I'm sorry, I promise... it won't happen again," Mundungus said, his hand reaching into his pocket as if he was considering something. Finally, he left the small bag of money in his pocket and didn't return Sirius' subsidy.
"Don't let there be a next time," Sirius stared at Mundungus for a moment before suddenly breaking into a strange smile. "Also, your so-called big business deal is nothing compared to what I do. Just a little while ago, I made a trip to Spain and earned tens of thousands of Galleons. Now that's a real deal."
"Really?" Mundungus asked, his eyes widening.
"Otherwise, where do you think I get the Galleons to give to you?" Sirius said calmly. "Just do your job well, and if there are any opportunities to make money in the future, I'll call you. It'll be more profitable than your so-called big deals. How much did you make this time, anyway?"
"Sorry," Mundungus said, having heard about Sirius' windfall from a bet. "I'll make sure to fulfill my duties from now on. Don't forget about me when there are opportunities to make money."
"It seems you've resolved the issue," a voice called from the end of the corridor. Sirius turned to see Kingsley approaching.
"I learned it from Anderson," Sirius said, addressing Mundungus' actions. "He just wanted some Galleons, so I'm giving him a chance to make some money. When did you arrive?"
"Just now. I've more or less figured out what's going on," Kingsley said with a peculiar expression. "Are you really planning to take him along to make money?"
"Who knows?" Sirius shrugged. "Maybe the opportunity will come in a few days, maybe it'll take longer, or maybe he'll miss the chance like the rest of you."
Upon mentioning this matter, Kingsley fell into a slight gloom.
No one would complain about having too much money, but who would have thought that Sirius would strike it rich like this?
"What's the situation over at the Ministry?" Sirius steered the conversation back on track. "Has Dumbledore resolved this issue?"
"No, Dumbledore failed to convince Fudge," Kingsley replied, his expression turning gloomy. "As expected, Fudge is eager to expel Harry, but he agreed to wait until after Harry's trial to decide whether to destroy his wand and have him expelled from Hogwarts." He continued, "Also, Fudge refuses to acknowledge the existence of Dementors outside the Ministry's control and insists that none have left Azkaban without the Ministry's consent."
"This is most likely the doing of a high-ranking Ministry official," George interjected, appearing from who-knows-where. "If it were Death Eaters, they wouldn't resort to such means. At the very least, they wouldn't just send two Dementors to attack Harry."
"And I don't think Harry's cousin could have survived," Fred added. "This whole situation seems more like a deliberate setup by the Ministry to provide them with an excuse to expel Harry."
"The Death Eaters' plot is rather lackluster, if you recall the incident in Spain..." Dedalo Diggle mumbled through a mouthful of sandwich.
"The situation in Spain was different," Fred countered. "Given Albert's personality, he certainly wouldn't have put himself in danger. So, the Death Eaters didn't even have the time to devise a thorough plan."
Having roomed with Albert for several years, Fred and George understood his character and modus operandi far better than anyone else.
Who truly believed that Albert had risked his life to participate in the International Wizarding Dueling Competition?
No! The truth was that Albert had single-handedly outwitted the Death Eaters and effortlessly dealt with the troublemaking dark wizards. As for Peter Pettigrew and the other Death Eaters, it seemed they had been intentionally left as gifts for Sirius.
"Fred, George, how did you..." Mrs. Weasley disapproved of the Weasley twins' involvement in such matters. More than half of her family were already members of the Order of the Phoenix.
"We just want to give them a heads-up to prevent them from falling into a trap," the twins said in unison, exchanging a glance.
"This incident definitely involves the Ministry," George asserted, looking at Kingsley. "Perhaps it's Fudge himself or someone close to him."
"Don't look at me like that," Kingsley said helplessly. "Most of the time, I'm busy protecting the Muggle Minister. Perhaps you should ask Arthur. And why do you think so?"
"Albert always says that those who play politics have dirty minds and will do anything to achieve their goals," Fred reminded them. "Don't you think this sounds like something Fudge would do? Just like how he didn't hesitate to smear Dumbledore, and now he's simply changed his target."
"Have you asked him?" Mad-Eye Moody seemed to think of something and looked up at the Weasley brothers. "If that's the case, the situation might actually be better. At least, the advance guard escorting Harry won't encounter too much trouble."
"But why would they do such a thing?" Kingsley found this speculation absurd. "Just to get Harry expelled?"
"Just look at the information from Snivelly," Sirius sneered. "If it really is Voldemort's plot, at the next Order meeting, Snivelly will bring a long and stinky report, telling us that the Dementors attacking Harry are part of Voldemort's plan to get him expelled from the Ministry."
"If it's not Voldemort's plot, then it must be someone from the Ministry."
This speculation quickly gained general recognition among the group. Undoubtedly, Voldemort was the most suspicious, and if it wasn't him, then it had to be someone from the Ministry.
In the following time, they not only discussed the attack but also listened to Mad-Eye Moody's arrangements for Harry's transfer.
"The current situation is not favorable for us. Harry needs to go to the Ministry for trial on August 12th."
In the evening, Mr. Weasley, who had finally finished work, brought back some bad news. "Fudge does intend to use this opportunity to expel Harry."
"See? If Fudge were thrown into Azkaban, he wouldn't deserve any sympathy," Sirius said, his face darkening with anger. "I suspect this is all his doing. He just drove Dumbledore away from Wizengamot and can't wait to take action against Harry. For now, let him continue to be arrogant. After Fudge is ousted, I will make sure he spends the rest of his life in Azkaban."
"Don't worry, Sirius. Harry won't be expelled," Kingsley reassured him. "According to the 'Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery' statute, it is permissible to use magic in self-defense when one's life is threatened, and we have evidence."
It was unclear if Kingsley was speaking to Sirius or to the rest of the group.
"No, Kingsley, the situation is not as optimistic as you think," Hermione said, her face grim. "If the Ministry insists on expelling Harry, the so-called trial will be useless. They just want to use this opportunity to humiliate him."
"What about Hagrid?" Everyone looked confused.
"Hagrid's hippogriff was once sentenced to death by the Ministry," Ron explained for Hermione.
"How was that situation resolved?" Kingsley asked curiously.
"I think Albert released the hippogriff right under the executioners' noses," Ron guessed. "Anyway, the hippogriff disappeared."
"What did Albert say?" Hermione asked.
"He said that with Dumbledore around, Harry will be fine," George admitted to having contacted Albert.
"I bet the 'Prophet' won't mention the Dementor attack at all," Fred suddenly said. "They'll keep quiet about this incident."
"Because this incident can't stand up to investigation?" Ginny asked curiously.
"Yes, that's right," George said as if he had seen through everything. "Some things can't withstand scrutiny, but as long as there's no investigation, there's no problem. Maybe we should bring this up on the radio and let everyone know that the Dementors are out of control. I think they have the right to know the truth instead of being treated like fools by the Ministry."
"You're right. This is a sensational story. If they're not willing to report it, we'll do it for them," Sirius agreed with the twins' proposal. After thinking for a moment, he added, "Before that, we need to protect Mrs. Figg and prevent any despicable attacks on her. If Fudge really expels Harry, we can hide him at Headquarters, and when Fudge steps down next year, we'll settle the score with him."
Sirius had prepared for the worst. If Harry was indeed expelled, he would temporarily stay at Number 12, Grimmauld Place.
However, the situation didn't seem too dire, as even Albert believed that Harry would be fine.
(End of Chapter)
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